Communications

Telecommunications really should be called telechange. Every aspect of the field is undergoing constant — and rapid — transformation:  technology, service providers, regulations, infrastructure, even the type of content delivered. Few other elements of business — or daily life — are so volatile, yet so deeply embedded in every move we make. In this fiercely competitive environment, Mintz Levin offers you a map through the minefields, bringing our unique mix of skills and resources to the practice of communications law.

Mintz Levin provides seasoned representation before legislative and regulatory bodies and in court, and effective support in the array of negotiations that underpin your business activities and objectives. We pursue your interests aggressively, whether in positive win-win situations or more intense, adversarial must-win actions. You benefit from our counsel and advice on every aspect of your business, from regulatory and legislative proposals, to litigation, to day-to-day or complex commercial transactions including acquisitions, financings, and marketing activities.

Our communications clients include:

• cable television companies
• wireline and wireless service providers
• programming networks
• satellite operators
• equipment manufacturers
• online service and Internet companies
• project management firms entering the telecommunications field
• trade associations representing the cable, wireless, and competitive telephone industries.

We’ve advised and represented these clients in a broad range of regulatory, legislative, and litigation matters before the FCC, Congress, state public utility commissions, Executive Branch agencies, and federal and state courts, as well as on domestic and international business transactions.

At the Center of the Action—Washington, D.C.

Our Communications practice is based in our Washington, D.C., office. In addition to communications law, our D.C. office offers a full range of related capabilities, including corporate, litigation, antitrust, and intellectual property. In all these fields, we stress the proactive practice of law that has become Mintz Levin’s trademark.

Our Washington, D.C. team includes Charles D. Ferris, who served as Chairman of the FCC and chief counsel to Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and Speaker of the House Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Our Communications practice is chaired by Howard J. Symons, a communications industry veteran with 30 years experience. Before joining Mintz Levin, Howard served as Senior Counsel to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications in the U.S. House of Representatives.

We Live in Your World.

The Regulatory and Legislative World. High tech and communications have become the economic backbone in every corner of the globe. No surprise then, that regulation and legislation affect virtually every aspect of the field, from the terms and conditions of service offerings to spectrum licensing and use. In this environment, you need the best resources to help you formulate positions and state your case. Mintz Levin has an excellent track record in regulatory and legislative representation. We bring knowledge of the issues, the industry, and the relevant personnel to your cause, approaching every challenge on multiple fronts.

Our team includes former government officials whose first-hand knowledge of telecommunications and media encompasses the legal and policy developments shaping the industry. We draw on this personal experience to help clients understand the institutions and people that will influence these policies. We also understand the frequent interplay between regulatory and legislative activity and the real-world business impact of government decisions.

The Transactional World. Our knowledge of the communications business isn’t limited to regulation. Mintz Levin’s corporate capability includes attorneys who specialize in communications transactions, including:

• mergers and acquisitions
• financing arrangements
• complex communications facilities and services procurement, leasing and licensing
• telecommunications-related real estate transactions.

Technical, operational, regulatory, and industry-specific issues permeate communications transactions, and these issues often have significant financial meaning. Our corporate attorneys understand these issues and — working in tandem with our communications group — capture legal and regulatory nuances that are often overlooked.

As corporate and communications regulatory counsel, we represent:

• buyers and sellers of communications properties
• lenders to communications businesses
• borrowers
• investment banks in their capacity as underwriters, placement agents and investors
• independent investors.

Mintz Levin has also helped clients address the complex issues presented by workouts, insolvency, and bankruptcy in the context of regulated communications companies.

The Litigation World. Mintz Levin’s litigators focus on winning — efficiently, and with accountability. In matters that require litigation in state and federal courts and before alternative dispute resolution tribunals, our clients benefit from our resourceful approaches, experienced advocacy, and solid understanding of the communications businesses in which they operate. Here, too, our involvement at every level of policymaking and business gives us unique insights into the best approach to appeals.

The Content, Data and Information Privacy and Protection World. We are proficient in privacy, security and confidentiality matters for data and voice transmissions, the distribution of high value video and audio content, personal identification information, and much more. With advancements in technology that make it possible to collect and collate more data about more people, privacy and security issues will only gain in prominence. Mintz Levin has advised a broad range of content owners and users, from broadcasters, cable and satellite operators, and programmers to mobile telephone companies, internet programmers, and digital music services.

Our experience embraces both traditional and new media intellectual property counseling, licensing and litigation.

The Bottom Line:  Your World is Our World.

With substantive expertise acquired through decades of practice, Mintz Levin’s communications, corporate, litigation, antitrust, intellectual property, and real estate groups, augmented by our government relations affiliate ML Strategies, LLC, are ready to meet the sophisticated legal needs of communications businesses. From law and policy to acquisitions and financings, antitrust counseling, and the structuring of new telecommunications ventures, our comprehensive services help ensure that your company meets — and exceeds — ambitious goals.

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